twin lakes state park

I hope everyone had an amazing summer. We closed the season off with a paddle around Swift Creek Lake in Pocahontas State Park. This particular location is one of our favorite spots to paddle with the kids. The water is shallow, there is plenty of wildlife and it is very quiet and peaceful. This is where they learned how to paddle and this is where my son used his homemade canoe paddle for the first time. Thanks for everything summer 2024 you’ve been a great one. Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and happy fall. Load up on your vitamin D before winter!

Eager to use their homemade canoe paddle

This lake is also where we tested my son’s canoe paddle for the first time many years ago.

10/22/2023: A beautiful fall day took us southwest of Richmond, about an hour’s drive to Twin Lakes State Park. Located near FarmVille, Virginia, the park is 548 acres and is centered around Prince Edward Lake (36 acres) and then Goodwin Lake (15 acres). We’ve been on a quest to explore new state parks in Virginia, and as always they never disappoint. This was also my chance to shoot with my Sony a6700. I’ve been using the A6000 for the past 8 years and it has not let me down, in my opinion, that camera still competes with the best of them. I purchased the a6700 mostly for it’s video capabilities, it’s external mic options and it’s longer battery life. So far, I’ve been super impressed with it.

Twin Lakes State Park is approximately a 1 hour drive, south west of Richmond. It is near the town of FarmVille.

We took on an easy 1 mile loop around Goodwin lake, which is flat and easy to navigate. Our one and a Half year old boy was able to hike the whole thing himself. The park was especially quiet on a Sunday and we saw only one other person on the trail. The kids enjoyed skipping rocks, leaf hunting, rock hunting and checking out the trees.

The Toyota Sienna Hybrid is a dad’s beast. Woodland Edition.

The discovery center, was open and a ranger showed the kids numerous pelts of different animals, and showed us the living occupants of the discovery center. One large red eared slider named “Myrtle the Turtle” and a large northern copperhead. All of this took us several hours and it was then nap time for our youngest. Otherwise, we would have liked to explore the larger of the twin lakes, Prince Edward Lake. The forest ranger, told us that this larger lake was slightly more remote and was ideal for canoeing. Another reason for us to come back!

There are still a few state parks in central Virginia that we have not visited: James River State Park and the High Bridge Trail State Park. So many places to see, so little time. Fall is here, make sure you get your flu shot. And stay healthy out there.